Introduction to C#
The C programming language is powerful and flexible and sits at the heart of many key open source software projects, including Linux and Zephyr. While it is intimidating to many people, C holds a strong relevance in today’s technology landscape and can be approached and learned by those without extensive previous computer knowledge.
While there are many resources for learning C, this article will focus primarily on learning C using Linux and specifically a Beagle running Debian GNU/Linux. It is recommended to utilize on-line learning resources like learn-c.org to get familiarity with the language, then apply what you have learned on a Beagle to see it in real life.
Note
Making the transition from on-line to in-person compilation and execution of your code is critical to building and maintaining your understanding. You can never be certain that an on-line service will always be available, so do yourself the favor or transitioning your exercises and materials into your own possession as soon as it makes sense for you.
Why Learn C?#
While C is an extremely popular programming language, popularity shouldn’t necessarily be your top guide in choosing a programming language to learn. What are some of the best reasons to learn C?
Provides Strong Foundation#
Many other programming languages are very similar to C, like Java, Wiring or Rust, are direct extensions of C, namely C++ and C#, or are written in C themselves. Learning C will set you up well to learn many programming languages and the rationales behind them.